just wondering

Can't remember any post here where Rick was badmouthed. otoh he's not a saint but a human being and certainly not perfect. So yes, there has been some criticism on this site. I like his books but I also use other books/websites to complement his advice.

Hi Jack: Rick has had tremendous success, and I suppose it's only human to wish one could have the success he has had. That feeling can result in a feeling of respect for the other person's talent and accomplishments, or it can easily morph over into a feeling of envy, which can sometimes express itself (to use your phrase) as badmouthing. Maybe this has something to do with the badmouthing you've seen?

There are some who see RS as a guru and that everything he says is the Gospel According to Rick.

Others, see him as a travel writer and teacher who shares his knowledge, and preferences, with those who are interested. (that's how he's described himself.)

I personally use those tools that benefit my preferences for travel and ignore the ones that don't.

Recently, Rick has become very political and that, I believe, has caused more criticism than anything else. It's not about his travel philosophy but more his philosophy in life.

The only criticism that I remember is comments about his guidebooks. That is simply a function of not understanding his approach to guidebooks when compared to Fodor or Frommer's etc. And his one bag approach seems to bother some people because he is so right on that subject. IMO, it is the inexperienced tourist who has the negative opinion. Everyone can have an opinion and express it. Not a big deal.

No, I've never wondered that. We can certainly all disagree with whomever we feel we must and "we" would never say anything behind Ricks back that we wouldn't say to his face. I once heard/read someone criticise Rick by saying they didn't like that he told people where to go and where not to go according to his preference's. Obviously they did not understand the concept behind ETBD.

Sometimes folks get perturbed because parts of countries are sort of left out of the books or certain cities get "dissed". I live in one of those cities that I feel was given short shrift by Rick. Anyone who wants to go to any of the northern cities in Germany, like Hamburg or Hannover finds nothing in the RS guidebooks. If you want to go to Heidelberg, one is told, just don't go there, too touristy. I guess I would prefer a bit more openness or non-judgmental opinions sometimes about the cities.

My biggest beef with the Frankfurt pages is that Rick goes on and on about the Eros hotel and the red-light district but says not one word about Frankfurt's Holocaust Memorial. That seems odd to me, (and frankly a bit shameful) but I figure he must have gotten a crappy tour guide the day he was here. Heck, it isn't even listed on the Holocaust Memorials list on the web pages here. Why? Another is our Museum Ufer festival. One of the biggest events in all of Germany (over 3 million visitors in 3 days) and it doesn't even get a mention under Festivals and Events.

Don't get me wrong here, I do think he provides a wonderful service and his books are for the most part outstanding. We have used them often. I also know he can't travel everywhere all year round. I wonder if he has anyone reading these pages though for suggestions? We are a gold mine of info!

Jack, do you mean his travel phiolosophy or his politics?

Jo, I have the same complaint about Mainz (but always loved visiting Frankfurt!) and Heidelberg. I lived in Mainz for six years and there is a lot to do there! It's especially wonderful in the summer.

I don't recall that people on this site have particularly "badmouthed" Rick.

In my early days of travel in Europe I would have said he was my mentor. I learned from him to pack light and find my own "backdoors". So, in recent years, my method of travel has differed from his (although largely because of his encouragement), but I still respect his basic principles. I don't always agree with his recommendations, but that's not "badmouthing".

What I would criticize is people who only go where he recommends and only see what he recommends. For a first trip, maybe, but after that, find your own backdoors.

I am new to the site but in the time I have spent here I have not seen any "badmouthing" RS. I have seen product reviews on guidebooks and his travel bags but this is a forum to be honest; if you had a bad experience with RS luggage or ebags luggage ECT...you should tell others when they ask. We are not her to appease RS.

We are here to learn and give advice, I find RS website the medium for that. I think that you can completely disagree with the information anyone gives even if it's RS and not be disrespectful or "badmouthing."

We learned a lot too from Rick Steves and this site, which I must say contain some of the nicest, most helpful people on the internet. On my last trip, we used his books but there were times we cursed under our breath because his directions weren't that great, but no book/writer is perfect. I still got a kick out of carrying my book and seeing other RS folks around.

As for his politics...I think Rick is so used to travelling and meeting people who are not afraid to talk or voice their opinions on politics that he's become that way too, and I applaud him for that.

Thanks for all the comments.I guess badmouthing was a bad word.He tells us in his book that if you travel for a number of days these are the palces he would (suggest)that you visit.That doesnt mean he doesnt like the other places it means he feels that the places he suggests are better(in his opinion).I frequently go to Barnes and Noble and read what other travel writers have to say about areas Im interested in and in my opinion(only mine)they give me too much information.Anyway thanks for the comments and I also agree he should keep his political ideas to himself.Happy travels everyone.jack

Interesting thought.

I admire Rick's approach to travel, I think he writes the best travel guides in the business, and he has the second best travel show on TV (sorry, I think Anthony Bourdain now has him beat). But I do realize the limitations of his books as well. His intimate, first-hand knowledge of many corners of Europe usually results in a lively read and outstanding recommendations... but the downside of this approach is that one man can't possibly know an entire continent in such microscopic detail. As such, this means that if you rely on Rick Steves as your sole source of information, you will miss out on most of Europe. For example, I found the Berner Oberland as breathtaking as Rick describes it... but I also found Flims and Davos pretty spectacular as well and also quite a bit cheaper and far more lively in the shoulder seasons.

I can understand why Rick's books focus on certain regions and cities in Europe, rather than taking a "broader" approach as some others do. I suspect he has focused on locations that he's enjoyed and therefore assumed that others from North America would also enjoy those quintessential parts of Europe.

Given that ETBD Guidebooks are updated every year (unlike some others), it would be a monumental task to re-visit a larger number of places each year. I'm sure it's extremely challenging and probably expensive for Rick and his staff to update even the locations he features now, to ensure that all of his readers have up-to-date information to travel with. He's probably close to reaching the absolute limit on the number of places he can cover without allocating more resources to Guidebook research. As usual, it all comes down to money!

Tom, Anthony Bourdain definetely offers an interesting travel perspective, but I still rate Rick's shows as one of the best for European travel, (with Rudy Maxa and Pilot Guides a "close second")! A.B. seems to feature different sites than most travel shows cover, but his show tends to focus more on the food and drink in each location rather than practical travel info. Rick's shows provide a broader view covering historical aspects, sightseeing ideas, how to get around Europe, lodgings and a lot of other very practical details.

I don't think I bad mouth Rick, but I know why I come to this site. It's one of the easiest to use and navigate. I also like getting notified when someone replies to a posting.